The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1887-05-09


little black eyes sparkled like beads
as poor Mrs. Matson glanced into the
room. AS for Aunt Lucy, she follow
ed her mistress into the hall.
ode Lawd hab mussy," she said.
"but Marse John otter stay at home
stidder trapsin of ter town. Dat
man in dar skeer me ter def"
The lady OF the house said something
reassuring, and went into the parlor,
where she vainly tried TO amuse her.
self in various ways.
"How time drags" she exclaimed,
as she went to o window and looked
out in the direction OF the river.
Did she see a snake basking in the
sunshine directly under the window?
She looked intently for moment. 1t
was thick, ugly looking moccasin,
fully five feet long. While she was gaz.
ing the vicious intruder raised its
head, and returned her stare with
look OF intelligence.
1t was amoccasin locality, and Mrs.
Matson did not care a snap OF her fin
ger for few snakes around her front
door. She was accustomed to find
III hONtl DCQS, anu SOlllC'
times they made their way into the
house, but on this particular morning
she was not herself. She turned her
head and saw another snake.
With an uncomfortable shudder the
nervous little lady walked across the
hall into another room, and looked
out towards the garden. What was
that dark thing just outside the fence?
There could be no doubt about it. 1t
was another snake.
By this time Mrs. Matson's blood
was up. Calling Sally, one OF the ser.
wants, she sent her to the kitchen to
order the cooks boy Joe to make a
circuit OF the house and kill every
snake in sight,
In two minutes Sally returned with
q face almost bleached.
"Joe done gone ter de fell" she
said; can cook already killed two big
snakes in de kitchen, an done shet de
do. see five vi um in de yard an
one under de steps"
The situation began to assume a
serious aspect. Mrs. Matson at once
had all the doors closed, and proceed.
ed to inspect thu surroundings from
every window in the house.
What she saw appalled, her. The
fierce rays OF the sun made every OBJ
ject appear to pulse and throb, and
half-blinded as she was with the glare,
it took some little time for her to
Salty herself that she was not mis-.
taken.
Twisting and twining among the
flowers she counted at least n dozen
serpents. They dotted the lawn in
front of the house and were crawling
along the winding walks. In the shady
back yard it was still worse. The little
inclosure appeared to be aliving, wrig'
alingmass ofshining scales and glitter.
ing eyes. Many OF the snakes were
running under the house, but how many
had already reached that place oil
shelter the frightend watcher was un.
able to tell.
Mrs. Matson retreated to the spa.
cious hall and clasped her hands over
her eyes. 1t was peculiar noise that
she heard. 1t sounded like q gentle
kissing, mingled with arustling and an
occasional mufiled flap, flap! What
could it be? 1t was easy enough to
answer the question. The noise could
only have been made by the scores,
and perhaps hundreds, OF squirming,
twisting reptiles under the house.
For the first time in her life Mrs.
Matson was thoroughly terrified.
Obeying sudden impulse, she rushed
into the room assigned to the invalid.
Aunt Lucy stood covering in one
corner, trembling with fear and unable
to utter word.
Sitting upright in bed, with an un.
natural glitter in his eyes and darling
his odd little head from side to side,
was the unknown guest.
"Ladee," he said in an unfamiliar
brogue, abe not afraid. No harm ter
dees house. Mesoon meself. Strange
theengs alarm de ladee. Eets all
right"
Mrs. Matson waited to hear no more;
she ran frantically to the parlor and
bolted herself in.
"Ladeel Ladee!"
It was the voice OF the stranger out
in the hall. There was a sound as o.
somebody struggling, and the mellow
voice OF Aunt Lucy was uplifted in
vain remonstrance.
"Missus, oh, missus," she cried. obs
yer Mister Man hab done got on his
clothes, an is er takin' on pow'ful. He
says he bound fer ter CO."
"Ladee, goodbye. | promised no
harm ter dees house. So l go. Good
bye, good-bye!"
There was another struggle, and a
yell from Aunt Lucy, and then the
opening and closing OF door signaled